Toyota GR Supra A90: The BMW Collaboration Return

The Toyota GR Supra (A90), launched in 2019 for the 2020 model year, is the first Supra built in 17 years. It's also the most controversial: the entire A90 was co-developed with BMW, with the new Supra sharing its chassis, drivetrain, and interior with the BMW Z4. The engine is a BMW-designed B58 3.0L inline-six, not a Toyota-built 2JZ successor. The transmission is a BMW ZF 8-speed automatic — no manual was available at launch. For Supra MK4 purists, the A90 was a betrayal. For neutral observers, it's simply a very good modern sports car that happens to wear a Supra badge.

The BMW Partnership

In 2016, Toyota announced a partnership with BMW to develop a sports car platform. The deal was pragmatic: Toyota wanted to build a new sports car but couldn't justify the engineering cost alone, and BMW wanted to update the Z4 roadster but needed to share development. The result was:

• Chassis: Shared Toyota/BMW platform
• Engine: BMW B58 3.0L inline-six turbo (400 hp in revised tune for 2021+), B48 2.0L inline-four turbo (optional for base)
• Transmission: BMW ZF 8-speed automatic (2019-2022), 6-speed manual added later
• Interior: Recognizably BMW dashboards, controls, and infotainment

The partnership was economically necessary for Toyota. Without BMW, the Supra wouldn't have existed.

The A90 Engine: B58B30

The primary engine is the BMW B58B30:

• Displacement: 3.0L (2,998cc) inline-six turbo
• Output: 335 hp initially, then 382 hp (2021+), now 400 hp in current spec
• Torque: 368 lb-ft at 1,800 rpm
• Layout: Longitudinally-mounted BMW-designed inline-six
• Turbo: Single twin-scroll turbo (hot-side cooled for low-latency response)
• Transmission: ZF 8-speed automatic or 6-speed manual

The B58 is a well-regarded modern BMW engine, capable of reliable tuning to 500+ hp. However, it's not a 2JZ-GTE — it's a BMW straight-six with different character, sound, and tuning potential.

The Manual Transmission Drama

At launch in 2019, the A90 Supra was automatic-only. This infuriated Supra MK4 fans who remembered the Getrag 6-speed as one of the most iconic parts of the original. Toyota initially said a manual wasn't economically viable. In 2022, Toyota reversed course and offered a 6-speed manual transmission option — a significant marketing win but a late addition.

Production Variants

• GR Supra 3.0: The base version (B58, 335 hp initially, then 382, now 400)
• GR Supra 2.0: Base 4-cylinder version (B48, 255 hp) — for European markets
• GR Supra A91-CF (2022, US): Special carbon fiber body kit edition
• GR Supra 45th Anniversary (2023): 45-year anniversary of the Supra name

The A90 is built in Austria (alongside the BMW Z4) at Magna Steyr — not in Japan. This is another controversial aspect of the new Supra.

Today's Market

The GR Supra A90 is still in active production. New MSRP is approximately $47,000 for the 3.0. Used 2020-2022 examples trade for $40,000-$55,000. The 2023+ manual transmission variants command a premium.

Legacy

The GR Supra A90 is the new Supra's identity struggle. It's fast (0-60 in 3.5 seconds), refined, reliable, and easy to tune. It's also essentially a BMW with Toyota badges, which offends many traditionalists.

For younger buyers without an emotional attachment to the MK4, the A90 is a perfectly good modern sports car. For fans who want a modern equivalent of the 2JZ-GTE Supra experience, the A90 doesn't quite hit the mark — but the addition of the manual transmission in 2022 went a long way toward making it acceptable.

Toyota's GR division has promised that the A90 won't be the last Supra, and that future generations may have more Toyota-specific engineering. For now, the A90 is the Supra of the modern era, for better or worse.